Di-Gata Drabbles
by Pennan Inque
Summary: The Realm is at peace, but the same can't be said for the Defenders. Adam has decided to stay with the team indefinitely and he and Seth are fighting more than ever. Mel tends to be the center of such feuds, and with her affections torn between both boys, she doesn't know what to do. Adam/Mel/Seth one-shot collection.
1. Author's Note- Intro

This series of drabbles is purely meant to entertain (mainly myself).

The main couples included will **only** be that of **Mel/Adam **and **Mel/Seth. **There may be some background couples, but the possibility is slim considering Kara/Rion was the only secondary couple with credibility and, well, you know... Kara's kinda not around anymore.

If you'd like to request a story, you may do so **only** by _messaging me personally_. **I will not take a request when it is left as a comment. **

Every chapter will contain a story for either Mel/Adam, Seth/Mel or Adam/Mel/Seth (NO romantic Adam/Seth. Rivalry and/or friendship only).

**While there is no extensive plot,** most of the drabbles follow the same timeline. However, the time between one-shots varies. Alternate Universe drabbles stand alone and are typically not related to previous stories.

Individual story ratings can be found at the beginning of each chapter.


	2. Should I Stay or Should I Go?

**Title:** Should I Stay or Should I Go?  
**Rating:** K  
**Main Pairing:** Adam/Mel  
**Point of View:** First person- Mel  
**Special Note:** This story takes place after "Di-Gata Dawn" and shows why Adam is with the Defenders in most subsequenting one-shots.  
**Author's Note:** I can't actually remember Mel's favorite flower. I haven't seen "Mel on my Mind" in years. (something like dako daisies with Sum-Yanis blossoms, but for credibility sake, I just put dako daisies)

* * *

I knew it was only a matter of time before Adam's staying with the team was brought up. The ethos had been defeated, and, just like every other time, everyone was counting down the minutes before Adam would leave us to go on his next journey. We had all learned that he had been the child of a Di-Gata Defender, just like us, but he never really committed to the team, and since he and Seth didn't exactly see eye to eye, we didn't push the fact.

Well, most of us, anyway.

I had always had a soft spot for Adam. Even though he didn't make the best decisions, he always found a way to make things right. He was sweet in his own way, and he really did think about what was best for the team. I always wanted him to be a Di-Gata Defender with us.

We were cleaning the dojo after the battle with K'tash and the sigil slayers. I was getting anxious since it's always during the aftermath that Adam slips away. I clung to the hope that he wouldn't just leave without a goodbye, especially since he only just came back.

I decided to grab some refreshments for the team. The suns were bright today in a sort of pathetic fallacy, and while it was a nice change from the dreary atmosphere from before, the hot rays were wreaking havoc on everyone's bodies. I grabbed a picture of water and chilled it with a simple spell. Rion showed up halfway and offered to help me carry out some glasses.

The team gathered in the shade of the trees, sipping the cold water I gave them gratefully. We were only about one third of the way from rebuilding the dojo to its previous state, but Sumos wasn't built in a day. The real concern, with me at least, was that Adam wasn't around. No one had seen him for a while, and I was getting worried. Erik and Rion immediately jumped to the assumption that he had slipped out the first chance he got. Having my fears vocalized weighed on my heart. Seth noticed and scolded the guys, trying to reassure me that Adam was around somewhere, but I wasn't convinced.

Eventually we decided we had to get back to work. I went around to the back of the dojo, where an enormous hole had been blasted through the wall. I set to work rebuilding the stone with Draykor's help. It was tedious work; moving rock after rock and fusing them together, but it had to be done.

Just as I was about to put the final rock into position, I heard a twig snap in the woods behind me. Whirling around, I faced the forest. Draykor and I scanned the foliage for movement. Leaves rustled, but we saw no one.

"Someone's hiding," I said to my guardian. "Let's flush them out. Hail breath!"

A voice interrupted Draykor as she was about to rain ice shards into the woods. "Now, now. Let's not be too hasty." And suddenly a figure appeared before us. Teal-green boots, pants and shirt, wrapped in a mauve cloak. He removed his hood and gave me one of his dazzling grins.

I nearly tackled him to the ground with my over exuberant embrace. "Adam! Oh, thank RaDos!"

"Whoa!" he laughed, trying to keep us from tumbling backward. His right arm wound around my waist to return my hug. "What a welcome!"

"You just disappeared!" I said. "I was worried you'd left. Where were you?"

"It's been a while since I left to find out what happened to my parents. I wanted to make for my absence by getting you these," he flourished a bouquet of dako daisies from under his cloak. I beamed.

"Oh, Adam! They're beautiful!" I took them from him gleefully, giving them a whiff. "How did you know they're my favorite?" **(see Author's Note above)**

He smirked. "I have my sources."

"They don't even grow around here. They must have taken you all day to find…wait," I frowned. "Did you go find these as an excuse to not help rebuild the dojo?"

"Not this time," he smiled, tightening his hold on me. "I just really wanted to say sorry for not being around. Tomorrow I'll even do twice the work I was supposed to do on the dojo, just to prove it."

"Tomorrow?" I asked, incredulously.

"Yeah…" he said, confused. "What's wrong with tomorrow?"

I started. "Nothing! I just… wasn't sure if you were staying 'til tomorrow. You usually leave by now."

"Not anymore," he said deadpanned, loosening his hold on me so he could look straight into my eyes. "I don't want to keep leaving, Mel. I want to stay and help you guys. I didn't find any information on my parents, so you're all the family I have. I like spending time with you and feeling like I belong. I like picking on Rion, and messing with Erik, and fighting with Seth, and… being with you. I want to be by your side and protect you. I want to be a Di-Gata Defender… will you have me?"

Tears pricked at my eyes and I threw myself at Adam all over again. "Of course!"


	3. Swimming Lessons

**Title:** Swimming Lessons  
**Rating:** T  
**Main Pairing:** Adam/Mel  
**Point of View:** Third person, omniscient  
**Special Note:** Sumcadas are essentially the RaDos version of cicadas except they chirp in the moonlight.  
**Author's Note:** I have spelled it Rogueon. If anyone knows if it is spelled incorrectly, let me know.

* * *

The moons reflected off the calm surface of the sheltered lake, mingling among the leaves of the surrounding trees. Sumcadas chirped in the woods, enjoying the hot summer evening **(see Special Note above)**. A gentle breeze caused the limbs to dance and their relaxing giggles harmonized with those of the young Wizard of Yan on the dock. Regardless of the breath-taking scenery, her eyes refused to take it in, too intent on gazing at the two pools of grey in front of her.

Mel and Adam had snuck out of the dojo after curfew in order to visit the small, enclosed lake Adam had stumbled upon while scouting. They sat side by side on the edge of the dock; their fingers only barely touching as they leaned back to look at the moons. Their socks and shoes lay forgotten behind them as their feet dangled into the cool water.

Mel continued to giggle as Adam regaled her with stories of his adventures. He told her of his times with the Rogueon and all of his exploits **(see Author's Note above)**. She would scold him every now and then for swindling, but would then erupt in a flurry of laughter as he joked about the intelligence of the villains he fooled.

"Never go after anyone smarter, stronger or faster than you," Adam explained. "You have to be able to either run or fight if you can't talk yourself out of something."

"Oh really?" Mel challenged, raising an eyebrow. "Then why did you steal from Seth when we first met? The two of you are basically on the same level."

Adam shrugged. "I guess I was willing to take a gamble for such a powerful champion stone like the Nova stone. But now that I know Seth, I'm fairly confident that I would be able to come out on top in a scheme."

"What makes you so sure?"

Adam smirked. "All I'd have to do is throw him some food. He'd be totally distracted."

The image of a furious Seth running after Adam came into Mel's head. She laughed out loud at the comical, yet completely plausible way Seth would stop in his tracks to tackle any kind of food thrown his way. Her laugh infected Adam and the two doubled over, clutching their sides as they lost their selves in the almost painful mirth.

"Whew!" Adam chuckled as he wound down. He fanned his face, still flushed red from their fit. "Boy is it ever hot!"

Mel swept her hair to the side to cool off her neck. "You can say that again. Summer is nice and everything, but the humidity is insane." She paused, swirling her feet in the lake. "Should we go back to the dojo? Erik fixed the air conditioner. We can cool off."

"Nah," Adam said, shaking his head as he got to his feet. He reached for the hem of his shirt. "I've got a better idea."

Mel's eyes widened as Adam pulled his shirt over his head and discarded it on the dock. She was only granted a quick glance at his sculpted chest before he dove into the water. He quickly surfaced, however, coming up a few inches from her legs. She could feel him playing with her toes.

He offered her a charmingly sweet, yet somehow suggestively roguish grin. "Coming in?"

A smile of her own settled on her face, but hers was one more of a begrudging admittance. "I can't swim."

He was taken aback. "Really?"

She nodded. "Growing up in the dojo, there wasn't much time to learn how. It was always Di-Gata training, studying books, strategy lessons. There was no body of water near the dojo, not that we were allowed to leave the grounds anyway. And besides, it's kind of hard for a hologram to teach you how to swim."

Adam's hands crept up her legs, leaving cool trails until they were parallel with the dock. He reached for Mel's hands, smiling as she let him take them. "Well, I'm not a hologram, so come on!"

She shook her head. "I can't. It's too deep. I'll drown."

"I won't let that happen." He gave a little tug. "Come on!"

"No," she said, stubborn. "I don't even have a bathing suit."

"So?"

"I can't go swimming in my clothes! I'll catch a cold!"

"Then take them off."

Mel's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"What's the matter? You're wearing underwear, right?" Adam paused. "_Right_?"

"Of course, I am!" she said, a bright blush blooming on her cheeks.

"Then what's the problem?" he asked. "There's hardly any difference between a bathing suit and underwear. And it's not like anyone's watching."

Mel hesitated. She was dying from the heat and the water looked so refreshing. All her life she wanted to learn how to swim; and here Adam was, shirtless and dazzling as ever, offering to teach her how. But her fear still clutched at her. "How deep is it?"

"Not very. Five –six feet tops."

"And you promise not to let me drown?"

"Promise."

Mel bit her lip. She trusted Adam enough to keep her safe, but what if something happened? She weighed the pros and cons in her head until finally she made a decision. Reaching behind her neck she unclasped her amulet and set it gently on the dock. She then proceeded to remove her Di-Gata stone pouches and her belt before moving to her hem. She sent Adam a pointed look as he watched her with rapt interest. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," he grinned.

"It's embarrassing enough without you looking."

"I'm gonna see, regardless."

Pouting, Mel realized she wasn't going to win. As quick as she could, she stripped her clothes off until she was down to her bra and panties and then crouched by the edge of the dock. She waited for Adam to help her into the water, but he was taking his time enjoying the view. His eyes roamed her gracious curves and he felt his heart skip a beat. She really was breathtaking.

Finally he reached out to take her hands. She grasped his fearfully, her adrenaline coursing through her as Adam instructed her to inch off the edge of the dock and slide into the lake. She shivered as water snuck up her legs; rising higher and higher the closer she got to the end of the planks. Finally there was no more room and Mel slipped into the water. Her feet didn't touch the ground as she was expecting, but the combination of Adam's grip and Mel's slow momentum kept her from going under.

As soon as she got the chance, Mel hit Adam's shoulder. "You lied! There's no way this is five feet deep!"

"Yeah," he said, a slightly apologetic smile on his lips, "but you're in, aren't you?"

"I guess…but what do I do now?"

"Kick your feet back and forth."

"How is that going to help?"

"I don't know. Something about the resistance you make against the water and how it will propel you upwards. Just do it."

Mel obeyed and moved her legs. Just as her efforts seemed to be pushing her up, however, Adam loosened his grip. Panicking, Mel abandoned kicking and clung to him tighter. "No!" she yelled. "Don't leave me!"

Adam smiled to himself. She was like a five year old. It was endearingly uncharacteristic. "It's okay, Mel. I'm not going anywhere. Now, come on, you were doing well."

With a little more coaxing, Mel started kicking again. Slowly Adam loosened his hold as he instructed her on treading water. Eventually he let go completely, keeping within mere inches of her should she flail and start to sink. But surprisingly to both him and the wizard herself, she managed to stay afloat.

"I'm doing it, Adam!" Mel exclaimed. "I'm swimming!"

He laughed and scooped her into his arms. "Yes, you are!"

She smiled as she stared into his eyes. They couldn't pull away and instead tread water together, the moons bathing them in a celebratory light.

"Thank you, Adam," Mel said, leaning in to give the thief a sweet peck on the cheek.

Adam's mind went blank and his systems forgot how to function. He was so full of euphoria that he didn't snap out of his pleasantly surprised trance until he took in a lungful of water. He floundered for a moment before he got his head properly above sea level, coughing. He grabbed Mel, who was sinking due to the distraction, and her look of concern changed to that of laughter. "I'm glad I decided to just kiss your cheek. Imagine what would have happened if I had gone for your lips."

Adam's heart leapt and a grin stretched from one ear to the other. "Why don't we just find out, instead?"

His puckered lips were met with a splash of water and the koi giggles of the girl he couldn't get enough of. Reaching for her, he began to tickle her relentlessly in revenge, the rustling leaves of the trees surrounding them coordinating with their laughter and splashes long into the night.


	4. Two Out of Three

**Title:** Two Out of Three  
**Rating:** K  
**Main Pairing:** Seth/Mel  
**Point of View:** First person- Seth  
**Special Note:** Rather than the casserole-type of goulash, ogama goulash is of the stew variety  
**Author's Note: **I'm not sure if Seth calls Omnikrag "Omni" or not. I know he used it for Omniaxor though, and since it is an endearing nickname, I decided to use it regardless.

* * *

I don't know what I expected our lives to be after we rebound the Megalith and defeated the Ethos, but this wasn't it. I guess somewhere in my heart I hoped for a new evil to crop up for us to destroy in order to keep the realm safe. I thought there was always going to be big, important missions for us to complete…

Boy was I wrong.

With the minor exception of raids and rebellion from miscreant thieves, rogues, and/or ne'er-do-wells, there has been little "malicious" activity for the Defenders to sort out. Most of our days persisted of cleaning, training, reading, more cleaning, and when we finally were called to handle some situation, all it took was a cast or two to send the bad guys packing. My mech. arm itched for a real battle. Training with the team just didn't seem to do it for me. I needed the thrill of the battle.

I sat in the library, absent-mindedly fiddling with my stones. Little Omnikrag fidgeted beside me, feeling my combat-lust. He wanted to go full-form and kick some butt just as much as I did. But instead we were condemned to the dreaded "study-period". Even though we were all sixteen, and had seen our fair share of the outside world, Alnar insistently remained our mentor, and enslaved us to the same boring daily schedule we were shackled to before we left our first dojo to find the pure stones. And while I had thought we had proven ourselves capable Defenders, Alnar apparently had a different opinion.

A flash blinded the corner of my eye, and I gazed out the window. Down in the courtyard, Adam and Rion were training. As I had already read nearly every book in the dojo library (or at least skimmed the cover), I decided to allow myself a break to watch.

While Adam was clearly the better caster overall, Rion was a quick learner, and excelled at unique techniques. I nearly fell off my chair laughing as Rion countered Adam's "Black Bolas" attack with a varied version of "Silver Encasement", leaving Adam trapped in the goo that Rion had fashioned to resemble a bikini model. Even Erik, who had been tinkering with the sigil stormers a few feet away during his free period, had doubled over in laughter, gasping for breath.

Adam scowled. Furiously he broke free and cast a skilled combination of "Assassin" and "Deceptor", creating multiple, lightning fast, copies of the thief that surrounded the smaller Defender. The original Adam would attack Rion shields, then mix with his duplicates, then repeat the cycle until Rion's shields were depleted, winning the match.

I smiled approvingly at the fight, regardless of the fact that Adam had been the victor. It seemed that every day, the team was getting better and better. We were learning new combinations, becoming synced with each other's movements, growing more powerful. We were a force to be reckoned with. But all that was a waste when there was nothing to even try reckoning with us…

I grew antsy. "Okay, Omni **(see Author's Note above)**, I think we've had enough studying for one day." My guardian nodded emphatically. He gave my stomach a strange look a second later, when it growled with the intensity of a dako-wolf. I laughed. "How about we go find something to eat?" He smiled in affirmative and we set out for the kitchen.

We heard the music before we were down the stairs, and the off-key singing _long_ before that. Omni plugged his ears as we grew closer and I cringed at a partially sharp High C. We peered around the corner to see Mel in the kitchen, dancing around with music blaring as she cooked what smelled like her famous ogama goulash **(see Special Note above)**. My stomach rumbled contently. What Mel lacked in tone, she made up for in the domestics and her cooking was to die for.

But as she danced around the kitchen in her frilly yan-embossed apron, I forced my stomach to be patient. It wasn't every day I got to watch Mel act this way. She was usually so composed; it was odd to see her let loose.

If her singing hadn't been so dreadful and her apron not been so comical, I would have considered the display to have been impressive. Her movements were free and unrestrained, like she didn't care about doing it "right". All her mind was focused on was expressing herself exuberantly and her body followed suit. It's true what they say about people dancing like they think no one can see them. It really is different from how they normally act. Or at least, I didn't _think_ Mel usually moved her hips like that. I'm pretty sure I would have noticed.

Finally her song stopped. During the transitional silence of her music player, my stomach let out an animalistic roar. Mel froze, mid stir of the cooking goulash. She paused the song that was just coming on and looked to the doorway. "Hello?"

I decided to act dumb and play it like I had just arrived. "Hey, Mel," I said, walking into the kitchen casually, Omnikrag following in my wake. "What's going on?"

"Not much… was that your stomach growling just now?"

I ran a hand through my hair, playing up the innocence as well as (I hoped) charm. "Yeah, sorry about that. I could smell your cooking all the way upstairs, and you know how I get around food."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah, I do."

By some act of a miracle, I managed to keep my victorious grin a bay. I couldn't believe I had gotten away with that. I followed her back to the stove, peering over her shoulder at the pot and its delicious contents. "Will it be ready soon? I'm starving!"

"You tell me." She held out the wooden spoon for me. I leaned in and blew on the stew, catching Mel's anticipating gaze. Opening my mouth, I slurped the food off the spoon, tasting the rich flavours on my tongue. Quivers shot down my spine as my senses tingled with pleasure.

Mel seemed to take the shivers as a reaction of disgust. She frowned, disheartened. "It's bad?"

"Of course not!" I exclaimed, shocked that she would ever insinuate such a thing when her cooking was exquisite.

"You don't have to spare my feelings, Seth," she said sadly, placing the spoon in the sink despondently. "You shouldn't force yourself to lie for my sake."

I grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at me. "Mel, I'm not lying. The food is delicious, just like everything else you cook."

A blush dusted her cheeks. "T-thanks."

"Anytime," I smiled.

A rattling brought our attention back to the pot. Omnikrag had climbed onto the counter and was using the wooden spoon to help himself to the goulash.

"Hey!" I yelled, prowling up to my mini guardian. "Get out of there! That's for everybody!" Omni turned from his gorging only to strike my knuckles with his spoon. "Ow!"

Mel giggled. "Oh, let him have it. There are more ingredients in the fridge. I'll make more."

"But I'm hungry _now_," I whined.

"I baked a cake earlier today. You can have some of that while you wait."

I grinned from ear to ear. In my excitement, I threw an arm around Mel. "You really are amazing, you know that?"

She brought the cake out of the fridge and my mouth instantly watered. It was iced with vanilla frosting and was pure ecstasy in cake form. She smiled at my reaction. "I know."

"Now if only you could learn how to sing; you'd be perfect. Hey, Omnikrag! Pass me a fork, will ya buddy?"

Two seconds later, I found out I wouldn't need a fork, as half the cake ended up plastered on my face.


	5. Maternal Instinct

**Title:** Maternal Instinct  
**Rating:** K  
**Main Pairing:** Seth/Mel  
**Point of View:** Third person- omniscient  
**Special Note: **After the Ethos were defeated, Seth accepted the kids back and allowed them to continue their Di-Gata training.  
**Author's Note: **I'm uncertain of Roodu and Azura's age, but even kids up to 10 get upset by simple things, so I figured their behavior isn't unjustified in this story.

* * *

Mel and Seth were in the dining room when Roodu burst through the door in tears. They had been looking over and adjusting the maps found in the dojo to make them more accurate, but when they heard the incoming wails, they quickly rose to their feet.

As soon as he turned the corner and saw the two elder Defenders, Roodu made a beeline for Mel, grabbing onto her torso as he cried. She shared a bewildered glance with Seth. It wasn't normal to find the boy so distraught. Since he and Azura had returned, begging to be allowed to train with them once more, they had showed great maturity and resolve **(see Special Note above)**. Seth figured whatever had the boy so upset had to be important.

Mel began smoothing his hair as she ran her hand over his head soothingly. "Hey now, what's all the fuss about?" she asked gently. "What happened, Roodu?"

His reply was muffled and garbled, cut off every now and then my hiccups and sobs, "Azura and I were- were training a-and she h-h-h-hit me!"

Seth shook his head to himself in disbelief. So much for something important. But he supposed kids will still be kids **(See Author's Note above)**.

Mel carefully disengaged the boy from her middle and knelt down to take a look at his injury. His knee was scraped and raw. Tiny specks of blood dotted the "wound". "Oh, you poor thing," she said.

"Can you f-fix it?" Roodu cried. "It h-h-hurts."

"Uh huh. I've got something that'll make it better in no time." Seth watched in amusement as Mel pulled a band-aid from her pocket. Always prepared, that girl. "This is a special bandage," she said mystically. "It'll heal your cuts twice as fast and take the pain away."

The boy sniffed. "Really?"

"Yup." She unwrapped the band-aid and put in on Roodu's knee, chanting a gibberish spell for his benefit. "There," she said as she finished. "How's it feel?"

His eyes bulged and a big smile appeared on his face. "It feels great! I can hardly tell I got hurt!"

"Good," she smiled, tapping his nose affectionately. He giggled. "Now be careful. That was the only bandage I had, so don't go getting yourself hurt again, okay?"

"Okay." he said, leaning into the Wizard to give her a shy hug. His face was pink with a blush as he pulled away. "Thanks, Mel." And with that, he dashed away, heading for the door.

Mel smiled after him, rising to her feet. She caught Seth's gaze. "What?"

"What, 'what'?"

"You're staring."

"I am?"

"Yes, you are. And I'm wondering why."

Seth shrugged. "I guess I was just thinking about how good you are with kids."

"I'm not that great," she said sheepishly.

"Sure, you are! You're so natural with them. You know what to do and say and how to get them to behave. You're going to be a wonderful mother some day."

Mel blushed. She picked up the band-aid wrappers and went to throw them in the trash bin. "I've never even thought about having kids. Being a Defender takes a lot of time and responsibility. And I'm still so young."

"Our parents did it," Seth said. "Maybe we'll have kids when we're older too."

Mel whirled to face him, her eyes wide in surprise. "'_We'_?"

Realizing his word choice, Seth scrambled. "Not like, you and I 'we'. 'We' as in 'general we'. Like, all of us."

"Oh, yeah. Of course."

The two remained in the dining room, faces beat red, standing in an awkward silence.

Suddenly Azura burst into the room and flung her arms around Mel, tears on her face. "Mel, Roodu said that he likes you more than me now! Why does he hate meeeee?"

Sighing, Mel scooped the girl into her arms. Rubbing her back to sooth her, she smiled at Seth. "Maybe when we're a _lot_ older."


	6. Catch Me if You Can!

**Title:** Catch Me if You Can!  
**Rating:** K+  
**Main Pairing:** Seth/Mel/Adam  
**Point of View:** Third person- omniscient  
**Special Note: **Because Mel is the cook of the team, she needed to go buy the food regardless of the fact that she was slightly shook up.  
**Author's Note: **I honestly have no idea the distance between the dojo and the provinces of RaDos. Just go along with it.

* * *

After spending a day helping a small town outside of Yin-tos rebuild from a rogue guardian attack, the defenders were heading back to their dojo. They breezed through the woods on their sigil-stormers, heading for the city to refuel before continuing their journey to home. Seth led the group as usual, but was growing increasingly annoyed as Adam constantly tried to pass him on his new bike.

He groaned as he swerved to cut the thief off. "Would you stop doing that? How many times do I have to tell you that _I_ lead?"

"It's not my fault you're going so slow," Adam jeered.

Seth scowled and called to Erik over his shoulder. "Why did you have to go and build him his own bike?"

Erik gave a half-shoulder shrug. "Seemed only fair. We all have our own bikes -even Rion."

"Well, you had better hope that we get to Yin-tos soon," Seth fumed. "I'm _this_ close to hitting him off that stormer…"

Erik brought up the holo-map in his gauntlet. "The city is just ahead. We should see it once we clear these trees."

"All right, then. Let's speed up a bit," Seth threw Adam a warning glare. "_You_, stay behind me."

He grumbled sarcastically. "Yes, sir."

As they were nearing the end of the forest, a bike shot passed Seth. Enraged, he yelled, "Adam!"

"Hey!" Adam cried, indignantly. "That wasn't me!"

Seth frowned in confusion. "Then, who…?"

"Guys!" Rion called from the back of the group. "Mel's stormer is out of control!"

"What?!" Seth and Adam chorused.

"Her bike just lurched and sped off! We have to help her!"

Not a second later, Mel's scream pierced the air as it resonated with the sound of crunching metal and trees splintering. The defenders all yelled the name of their comrade and raced to reach her.

Seth jumped off his bike before it came to a complete stop, too busy rushing towards the twisted wreckage of Mel's stormer to care where it went. Adam was quick to follow suit and the two reached Mel at the same time. Having either dove or been flung off, she lay unmoving at the base of a tree a few feet from her bike.

"Mel!" Seth bent down to ease her into his lap. "Mel, are you okay?"

She groaned before her eyelids fluttered open. "Ugh… Seth?" Her gaze shifted. "Adam?"

"Yeah, Mel," Adam smiled gently. "We're here."

Erik and Rion parked their stormers before rushing over. "Mel!" Rion called. "Are you alright?"

Seth helped her sit up. "Yeah, I'm okay. I jumped off in time."

"What happened?" Erik asked.

Mel shook her head. "I don't know. I just… lost control."

Erik went to inspect the remains of the bike. "There are some claw marks on the body. Looks like it got damaged when we fought that guardian earlier."

Seth took Mel's hand and pulled her to her feet. He didn't let go until he was sure she was steady. He ignored the glare he could feel from Adam. "Can you fix it?"

"Not without the right parts. We'll have to buy a rope and tow it to the dojo." Erik turned to the wizard. "Sorry, Mel. Looks like you'll have to hitch a ride with one of us."

"That's fine," Her gaze turned to the suns that were creeping toward the horizon. "But we'd better hurry up and get what we came for. I don't know about you guys, but I'd like to get back to the dojo before dark."

"She's right," Seth said, settling back into his leader role. "Rion, Mel, you guys go into the city and get the food and rope we need **(see Special Note above)**. Erik, you look after the fuel. Adam and I will stay with the bikes until you get back."

"Okay," the trio said simultaneously, before turning and heading to the city gates.

Silence fell over the two boys as they stood on the outskirts of the forest. There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Adam was still peeved with how easily Seth touched Mel and Seth was ticked at Adam for trying to pass him on the bikes… no, scratch that. Seth was _always_ ticked at Adam.

Finally, Seth couldn't take the atmosphere. "Hey, Adam, wanna go get our stormers? We should be ready for when the others get back."

Stormers… right, the stormers! A mischievous grin tugged at Adam's lips. "Sure, I'll go get them… provided we have a little race."

Seth quirked an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"A race. You and me, a circle around Yin-tos."

"Why?"

"I want to try out my new bike. I never get to see how fast it goes when I'm stuck behind you all day!"

"That's stupid. What if the others come back?"

"We'll be finished before they get here. Or, at least I will be," Adam smirked.

Seth narrowed his eyes. "Fine," he growled. "One lap around Yin-tos."

"Shall we make it interesting?"

"How so?"

Adam's smirk widened. "Winner gets to take Mel back to the dojo on their stormer."

Seth's eyes widened. It would take at least an hour to get back to the dojo from here **(see Author's Note above)**. That's a solid hour of riding with Mel on his bike, her arms around his waist and her chest against his back… and an hour where she wouldn't be with Adam. "Deal."

The stormers weren't far and Adam was gone and back in a matter of minutes. He pulled his helmet on and tossed Seth his. They aligned their bikes and mounted.

"Prepare to lose," Adam smirked.

"Back at you," Seth challenged. "I don't fool around when it comes to Mel."

"Yeah?" Adam frowned, a look of pure determination spreading across his features. "Well neither do I."

And with that, they took off.

Seth took an early lead. His experience with his stormer allowed him to control the machine with ease. He smiled haughtily to himself as he saw Adam shrink in his side-mirror. He had this race in the bag.

Or so he thought

Just as he was about to round a corner, he was suddenly hurled off his bike. Sliding across the dirt, he watched Adam pass him, grinning as he flashed his di-gata stones. "Told you I don't fool around!"

Seth snarled as he got to his feet and jumped back on his stormer. Dust snaked behind him as he sped off in an attempt to catch up. Weaving between boulders and outlying bushes, he pushed his bike to the limits. He was catching up, but the line they drew in the ground to represent the finish line was drawing near and Adam was dangerously close. Seth reached for his own di-gata stones and prepared to cast until all of a sudden Adam and his stormer vanished.

Shocked, but still rightfully cautious, Seth scanned the area. There seemed to be no trace of the thief. He wondered if this was some sort of trap, a diversion to get Seth to abandon the race. He'd finish the race, he decided, and then go look for Adam.

But just as Seth was about to cross the finish line, Adam and his bike reappeared on the other side. Grinning ear to ear, he waved at the leader. "Took you long enough. Looks like I win."

Seth was lost. "Wha-? How did…?"

"I saw you were about to cast, so I pulled on my thief's cloak. Erik did some fancy mechanics on my stormer to absorb the energy from my cloak and reproduce it two-fold, hiding both myself and my bike. There was no way I was going to let you pass me."

Seth scowled. "That's sneaky!"

Adam shrugged. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be with Mel. Oh!" he caught sight of the others as they came out of the city. "Speak of the gorgeous devil."

Seth watched as Adam went to meet Erik, Rion and Mel, taking the bags of food Mel was carrying and picking on Rion as the smaller boy demanded the thief do the same for him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Seth admired Adam's determination. Even though he used to leave the team and meet other girls along his journeys, Adam always returned for Mel. He could see the adoration in his eyes whenever he looked at her and it made Seth envious. While Adam's world revolved around only Mel, Seth had other responsibilities. He couldn't dote on her like Adam could.

He shook the thoughts from his head as the team reached the bikes. Erik tied Mel's stormer to his own and climbed aboard, declaring that everything was ready to go. Rion mounted his bike and Adam led Mel to his. They got on, Mel's arms wrapping around Adam's waist for safety. Even through the childishly flirty comments, Seth could see the pure joy on the thief's face and was jealous. He wanted that joy. He wanted Mel.

As he started his stormer and began leading the others toward the dojo once again, he solidified his solve.

He would be like Adam. He would become determined in his pursuit of Mel.

He wouldn't give up. Not until she loved him.


	7. Kidnapped

**Title:** Kipnapped  
**Rating:** K+  
**Main Pairing:** Adam/Mel  
**Point of View:** Third Person- omniscient  
**Special Note:** Remember that Adam was in Kid Cole's gang for a while. He would have known all of the members by name, let alone face.  
**Author's Note: **Think the attack Snare used on Kara in "Snared"

* * *

In retrospect, it would have been smarter for the Defenders to keep Mel's being a Wizard of Yan a secret. As there were reportedly none left in the realm but her, her fame and reputed talents were spread across the provinces like wildfire. The positive side was cheerful dependence and the villagers would celebrate at the mere sight of her. She was warmly welcomed everywhere and thanked time and time again for her help. The negative side… well, that was another matter entirely.

It happened on a beautiful spring afternoon while the others were having a practice tag-team battle in the courtyard. Mel was in the library as she tended to be in her free time. She had numerous books laid out in front of her as she translated a new text she had bought the previous week. Every now and then she would break from her work to check on the progress of the battle outside. It was Seth and Rion versus Erik and Adam, and the two sides seemed to be evenly matched.

Suddenly the dojo's sensors went wild, the alarm screaming and lights flailing. Mel jumped to her feet, dashing to the window to see what the commotion was about and to make sure everyone was alright. The four other Defenders were standing safe and sound, albeit perplexed, as Erik tapped into the security system on his gauntlet. They spotted Mel and yelled something to her, but she couldn't hear with the alarm blaring in her ears.

The boys, meanwhile, were frantic.

Erik analyzed the security monitor projected from his gauntlet. "Guys, we have to do something, fast! The intruder is heading toward the library!"

"We'll never make it in time!" Rion yelled.

"Erik, shut off the alarm!" Seth shouted. "Mel can't hear us!"

"I'm trying!"

"One of us has to go help her!" Adam cried. "She has no idea the intruder is headed her way!"

Seth frowned. "There's not enough time! Whoever set off the sensors will make it to her before we do. We'll just have to provide cover fire from down here!"

"I can make it!" Adam yelled, pulling out his Di-Gata stones. "Assassin!" His henge formed properly and emitted a blue-ish, white bolt of lightning that encircled Adam and made him disappear. He reappeared by the dojo entrance. "You guys be ready to cast through the windows if something goes wrong!"

"Adam!" Seth called after him, but the thief had disappeared.

Dashing through the corridors and up the stairs, Adam ran through the dojo at breakneck speeds until he arrived at the library. He burst through the door, drawing his stones in preparation to attack. However, the library was quiet and Mel stood by the window unharmed.

"Mel!" Adam greeted, relieved to see her safe. He lowered his guard and approached her. "There's an intruder in the dojo. He's headed here; we gotta go regroup with the others."

She remained silent, staring out the window.

"Hey, Mel? Let's go. We have to get out of here."

She still didn't move. Adam grew concerned. "Mel, come on. We've gotta- Mel?" Her eyes were closed. He checked pulse and breathing frantically. She was still alive, thank RaDos, but her breath was deep and even. She was asleep on her feet.

"What the-?"

Suddenly Adam was thrown back, a stinging in his chest as he hit the wall and fell to the floor. He groaned, slowly attempting to rise from the ground, his muscles aching. He saw the air flicker around Mel, indicating something he knew so well. The intruder was wearing a thief's cloak.

"A Rogueon, huh?" Adam snarled. He stood despite his soreness and bared his stones. "I know how to handle you. Power of the Guild!"

His energy net soared a few feet from Mel, training on the invisible interloper. There was a flash from midair and the net swerved, ensnaring Mel. She still remained upright, held up by the unseen bandit.

Adam frowned. "Yin-winder? But that's…"

The intruder lowered his hood. Adam recognized the face, but he wasn't a Rogueon.

The alarms shut off. Seth's voice yelled in from the window. "Adam! What's going on?"

"Seth!" Adam shouted back. "We got trouble! The intruder is- ah!" An attack hit him in the back, knocking him to the floor once again. His eyes blurred, things coming in and out of focus. He made out the man's smirk as he pulled his hood back on and wrapped his cloak around Mel. The last thing he saw was the two of them vanishing into thin air.

* * *

Mel woke up with a splitting head ache and sore wrists.

It was night. The sun had gone and the only illumination came from the fire crackling a few feet away. Shadows moved about the trees in the clearing and voices whispered in the wind.

Mel tried to stand but found her wrists tied behind her back around a tree. The last thing she remembered was breathing in something foul after the alarm went off in the dojo.

Footprints appeared in the dirt. They moved toward her, but there was no one to make them.

The air rippled in front of Mel to reveal a face she had hoped to never see again. "Kid Cole," she sneered.

He smirked confidently down at her. "Melosa. So kind of you to visit. Are you comfortable?"

"No," she spat.

"That's too bad," he said with mock sympathy. "We worked so hard to make you feel at home, didn't we boys?"

There was a collection of malevolent laughter from around the clearing. One by one Cole's men removed the hoods from the thief's cloaks they were apparently wearing and appeared, chuckling at Mel's misfortune.

"What do you want with me?" Mel scowled.

"You're going to be of value to us. Being the only Wizard of Yan left in RaDos, you are priceless. No one would dare cross us if we had access to you. They'd be too scared we would harm you or worse. Poor, sweet, naïve saps."

"So I'm insurance?" Mel hissed, infuriated.

"You shouldn't belittle yourself, Melosa. You're also bait. I've had spies prowling your dojo, and they assure me that you're very precious to two certain Defenders that I want revenge on."

"I won't go along with your plans."

"You don't have a choice."

Mel scoffed. "You think you can keep me tied up? I'm a Wizard of Yan!"

"Yes you are, but those chains securing you to the tree are made of dakocite. I'm sure a smart girl like you knows of dakocite's absorbing qualities. And I'm willing to bet it'll nullify your Wizard powers." Mel's heart sank. Cole knelt beside her, taking her chin. "Aw, don't look so sad! At least I'm here to keep you company."

She kicked him in the shin.

Cursing, he got to his feet and grabbed a fistful of her hair. He yanked and forced her to look into his wicked eyes. "I don't mind if you get feisty. I'm sure it would kill those two even more to see you beaten and bruised."

And with that, Cole let her go. He and his mean disappeared into their cloaks, leaving Mel alone in a crowd of criminals.

* * *

It had to have been around midnight when she heard it. At first she thought it had been her sleep deprived mind imagining things, but she heard it again. Two sharp chirps. One high followed by a low. To the uneducated mind the sound could have been dismissed as a bird, but Mel knew better.

It made sense that they would be in the woods. Judging from the type of foliage and sigil markings around the area, Mel figured Cole had camped right in the middle of their territory. Probably without even realizing it.

The pitches were distant; most likely some comrades signaling each other for a night raid. Mel weighed her options and decided that anyone was better than Cole and his men. Puckering her lips, she blew out two notes and waited. The silence seemed to bear down on her until finally she got a reply.

And then the real waiting began. With every hour that ticked by with no sign of rescue, Mel's anxiety grew. She tried whistling again and was only met with far off responses every once in a while. The suns were rising and she could feel Cole's men beginning to stir. Time was running out.

Kid Cole appeared in front of her. "Seems like your friends didn't come during the night. What a shame."

"They'll find us," Mel growled. "And when they do, you won't stand a chance!"

He got right up in her face. Mel grimaced as his stale breath assaulted her. "Not when I have you under my arm." He stood straight and addressed his gang. "Men!" Hoods were removed and a half a dozen bandits materialized. "We break camp and head for Arboth. Once they surrender to us, we'll spread across the realm! As for the Defenders, it's only a matter of time before they catch up to us, in which case we will exact revenge!"

The group cheered and Cole barked orders, "You three, gather the provisions, you two pack up the sleeping bags, you put out the fire, you-" a band of ribbons appeared from nowhere and ensnared Cole, wrapping around his body and effectively shutting him up **(see Author's Note above)**. The other bandits searched the trees frantically for the source, but were simply taken out one by one by the same method.

A man jumped from a tree and landed next to Mel, who had been watching the scene with confusion as well as delight. His hair was styled in a Mohawk and he wore traditional Rogueon clothing, minus the thief's cloak. "Sorry about taking so long, Miss," he said, brandishing his Di-Gata stones to break the chains tying her. "We had to wait until everyone was visible."

"I'm just glad you came," Mel said, rubbing at her wrists as she stood. "I was worried no one would show."

Four other Rogueon leapt into the clearing. They went to secure Cole and his men while the leader continued to speak to Mel. "We were indeed perplexed that a Di-Gata Defender would call for us thieves, but when we found that it was this band of thugs that had captured you, we were more than happy to be of assistance. A week ago they had snuck into one of our camps and made off with our cloaks. Needless to say we wanted them back."

"I see."

"We also sent for Adam as soon as we saw your predicament. He should be here soon."

Mel raised an eyebrow. "You're in touch with Adam?"

"Yes. While we are aware of his current position with the Defenders, he and my team are on good terms. I figured he'd want to know of your whereabouts, and contacted him for old time's sake." Two whistles resonated nearby. The Rogueon replied. "That'll be him, I imagine."

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Adam burst through the brush. He spotted Mel and threw his arms around her, relief and happiness coursing through him. "Mel! Thank RaDos you're okay! I was so worried! When I saw you in the library, it was like you were a zombie. I had no idea what Cole's goon had done to you and he even managed to steal you away. I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything!"

"It's okay, Adam," Mel said, clutching him to her in a tight embrace.

He took a second just to feel her, to know that she was real. Then he pulled back to look her over. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Just my wrists. They're a little sore from being chained all night."

Adam's face morphed into pure rage. He whirled upon the hog-tied bandits, snarling. "Which one is Cole? I swear, I'll kill him!"

"You're free to take a crack at him once we're through," the Rogueon said. "Though after doing something like stealing our cloaks, there might not be much left."

"There'd be _nothing_ left if I had my way," Adam scowled. He took a few deep breaths to settle down. He was being too drastic. Mel hated that. "Hand them in to the Gatashin prison once you're done roughing them up."

"Our pleasure."

Adam returned to Mel. "We should be heading back. The others are worried." He acknowledged the Rogueon. "Thanks for everything."

He gave Adam a nod of recognition and went to join his subordinates.

Adam took Mel's hand, mindful of her wrists and led her through the woods. His grip was firm, as if he was afraid she would be ripped from him. He had been horrified and heartbroken when he had awoken in the library to find Mel's kidnapper had succeeded. The entire day, and even through the night, he blamed himself for letting him get away. Had it not been for the Rogueon, Cole could have gotten away with his plans and he would have never seen Mel again.

He wouldn't let it happen again. At the cost of his life, he would protect Mel. He was never going to lose her again.


End file.
